Sunday, April 28, 2013

Life has been busy lately. No complaints from me. Not bad busy. In fact, quite the opposite. Good busy. Life busy. I've made a point to remind myself to relax and enjoy this journey along the way. So far...so good.

When I was in college, I read Les Miserables...probably to impress some girl. I should note that I DEFINITELY read the abridge version. I remember Hugo wrote something about living life which I vaguely remember writing down...all these years later, I had to look it up:

“It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live.”

Every morning, I challenge my daughters to "do something that scares them" during the day. I believe the quote is often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt...who my youngest daughter shares her namesake with.

I often receive texts messages from my coworkers: "Warning: I just got 'shanked". The verb "'shanked", refers to the act of turning on the TV to find the Shawshank Redemption. Of course, once Shawshank is on...you can't turn it off. Is there anything better than Morgan Freeman's great quote?

So how do we make sure we live...not merely exist? I really like to the list I read here: 15 Ways To Live. It's a GREAT blog that I suggest you read...I've included the 15 ways below.

As Jack London once said, “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.” Far too often we travel through life on autopilot, going through the motions, accepting what is, and having every day pass like the one before it. Everything seems relatively normal and comfortable, except that constant twitch in the back of your mind that’s saying, “It’s time to make some changes.”

Here are 15 simple suggestions for those who want to break free from the mold and truly live more of their life – to experience it and enjoy it to the fullest, instead of settling for a mere existence.

Appreciate the great people and things in your life. – Sometimes we don’t notice the things others do for us until they stop doing them. Don’t be like that. Be grateful for what you have, who loves you, and who cares for you. You’ll never know how much they mean to you until the day they’re no longer beside you. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it to live. Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Ignore other people’s negativity. – If you allow people to make more withdrawals than deposits in your life, you will be out of balance and in the negative before you know it. Ignore unconstructive, hurtful commentary. No one has the right to judge you. They may have heard your stories, but they didn’t feel what you were going through. You do not have control over what others say; but you do have control over whether or not you allow them to say these things to you. You alone can deny their poisonous words from invading your heart and mind.

Forgive those who have hurt you. – I forgive people, but that doesn’t mean I trust them. I just don’t have time to hate people who hurt me, because I’m too busy loving people who love me. The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to move forward is the happiest. Be brave. Be strong. Be happy. Be free.

Be who you really are. – If you’re lucky enough to have something that makes you different from everybody else, don’t change. Uniqueness ispriceless. In this crazy world that’s trying to make you like everyone else, find the courage to keep being your awesome self. And when they laugh at you for being different, laugh back at them for being the same. It takes a lot of courage to stand alone, but it’s worth it. Being YOU is worth it!

Choose to listen to your inner voice. – Life is a courageous journey or nothing at all. We cannot become who we want to be by continuing to do exactly what we’ve been doing. Choose to listen to your inner voice, not the jumbled opinions of everyone else. Do what you know in your heart is right for YOU. It’s your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you. And be sure to appreciate every day of your life. Good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience, and the worst days give you the best lessons. Read Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No.

Embrace change and enjoy your life as it unfolds. – The hardest part about growing is letting go of what you were used to, and moving on with something you’re not. Sometimes you have to stop worrying, wondering, and doubting, and have faith that things will work out. Laugh at the confusion, live consciously in the moment, and enjoy your life as it unfolds. You might not end up exactly where you intended to go, but eventually you will arrive precisely where you need to be.

Choose your relationships wisely. – The best relationships are not just about the good times you share, they’re also about the obstacles you go through together, and the fact that you still say “I love you” in the end. And loving someone isn’t just about saying it every day, it’s showing it every day in every way. Relationships must be chosen wisely. Don’t rush love. Wait until you truly find it. Don’t let loneliness drive you back into the arms of someone you know you don’t belong with. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely. A great relationship is worth waiting for.

Recognize those who love you. – The most memorable people in your life will be the ones who loved you when you weren’t very loveable. Pay attention to who these people are in your life, and love them back, even when they aren’t acting loveable.

Love yourself too. – If you can love children, in spite of the messes they make; your mother, in spite of her tendency to nag; your father, even though he’s too opinionated; your sibling, even though she’s always late; your friend, even though he often forgets to return what he borrows, then you know how to love imperfect people, and can surely love yourself.

Do things your future self will thank you for. – What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. Make sure it’s worthwhile.

Be thankful for all the troubles you don’t have. – There are two ways of being rich: One is to have all you want, the other is to be satisfied with what you have. Accept and appreciate things now, and you’ll find more happiness in every moment you live. Happiness comes when we stop complaining about the troubles we have and offer thanks for all the troubles we don’t have. And remember, you have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life. Read The How of Happiness.

Leave enough time for fun. – Sometimes you need to take a few steps back to see things clearly. Never let your life become so filled with work, your mind become so crammed with worry, or your heart become so jammed with old hurts or anger, that there’s no room left in them for fun, for awe, or for joy.

Enjoy the little things in life. – The best things in life are free. There is absolute joy and wonder to be had in the simplest of moments. Watching the sunset over the horizon or spending time with a family member. Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.

Accept the fact that the past is not today. – Don’t let the past steal your present and future from you. You might not be proud of all the things you’ve done in the past, but that’s okay. The past is not today. The past cannot be changed, forgotten, or erased. It can only be accepted. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.

Let go when you must. – It’s not always about trying to fix something that’s broken. Some relationships and situations just can’t be fixed. If you try to force them back together, things will only get worse. Sometimes it’s about starting over and creating something better. Strength shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over again with a smile on your face and passion in your heart.

My hands went numb. My power spiked. My water bottles iced up. But mile after mile, we made it. I was lucky to have company for most of the workout, swimming and riding with my good friend, two-time Ironman, Ryan Dannhorn. Training-wise, it was a great test, a 6 hour day to work on race specific stuff. Nutrition. Bike pacing. Early mile run pacing. Etc...but I learned so much more from my day. Here goes:

The Swim: Sometimes it's important to slow down, and do things the right way

My swim was simple today, warm up, swim a solid 1,000 yd time trial, then easy swimming to get to 1 hr. Really, it was just setting up the rest of the day. I really wanted to swim a good 1,000yds...so I "hammered" it. Now, the notion of me "hammering" a swim is funny...but I was really trying to push the pace. I was working hard...and it felt like it. I had about :20 minutes left to swim easy, so I decided to work on technique and really try to swim "smooth and easy". Sure enough, I discovered that I was swimming just as fast...if not faster than my 1,000 yd TT.

Life is a lot like that too. Sometimes, you just need to take a step back, slow down, and do things the right way...you just might find yourself getting even further than you dreamed.

The Bike: Hard Work ALWAYS Pays Off

The wind was punishing...15-20mph from due west. "Go west young man". 2 hours...into the wind. Relentless. Punishing. We laughed a lot. Both of us knew that had we tackled this ride solo...we'd probably have bagged it shortly after we started. Yet there we were...plugging away. Two hours and fifteen minutes in...we hit the turn around. Now I know what Lance feels like when he rides. Hell...it was better than EPO. It was a tailwind of epic proportions. 61 mins...26 miles. Yahtzee.

Life is a lot like that too. You put in the work...you're going to have a sweet tailwind.

The Run: Finish What You Started

After five hours...the couch was looking fairly inviting. Who would know? Watch a Sportscenter...finish my daughters PB&J for them. Sounded good. But there I was, lacing up the shoes. One hour to go.

As with life...you've got to finish what you started.

Tomorrow morning is breakfast with my girls. I've promised my three year old we would be breakfast buddies and both eat pancakes, sausage and drink chocolate milk. And then there will be a lot of couch. And the Masters. It's going to be a good day. Just like today.